There and Back Again
by McFly
Summary: Ever longed to know or maybe become one of the beloved characters. such happens at the tolkien forum convention, where four teens find themselves in the mists of Middle Earth and the Fellowship. please r and r
1. the chosen four

Author's note This fanfic is being written by more then one person. THe only person I hold credit for is Keira.  
  
Joan Lee's day started tragically as she was demoted from her day job. She was working as the top Marketing Officer for a company in Manila and though it was a start-up company she knew there were high hopes of success what with their product focusing on the information technology industry which was a boom in her city. She was transfered to the Training Department where she had to deal with smart-mouths all day. This wasn't the way Joan would have liked to spend that fine Monday morning but she had no choice. She needed the money countless bills for her credit cards, her car loan, and her apartment were pushing her to the brink of depression.  
  
At the end of that day, she finally decided to slow down and relax. She opened her computer and type the words www.thetolkienforum.com, pressed enter, and as she browsed through the threads a smile started in her face. Her online friends were having fun, and she thought some of them maybe having the same crappy day as her but they still manage to come up with humorous remarks. One thread caught her eye: There was a plan for a convention come next year. She was ecstatic, finally meeting good friends, perhaps they'll turn out to be real friends indeed! Seeing the people who have astounded her with their writing, or their humour, or even their looks, was too tempting to resist.  
  
She made plans, and decided she's going to the convention. It will be held in Wellington, New Zealand near the set of the movie Lord of the rings done by Peter Jackson. "That's near, I think I would love to see New Zealand next year." and so plans were made and Joan was set to attend the convention next year. __________________  
  
Nick Stewart pulled his truck into the garage, then ran inside to finish his homework and grab a bite to eat before bed. He fished around in the fridge for a while until he found some cold chicken and a soda. His dad caught him while he was stomping up the stairs to his room, forcing him to explain why he was just showing up after one in the morning. Something about a celebratory party for the football game he had a large hand in winning. While his dad went back to bed, he turned his computer on and started ripping meat from bones.  
  
He finished around three in the morning and decided to have a little fun before going to bed. Some place called The Tolkien Forum Dot Com. He had run into it after watching that Fellowship Of The Ring movie. He mostly hung around the movie section, but showed up in a few other sections when the title of the thread caught his eye. This time, he saw something about a convention in New Zealand.  
  
The next morning, before heading to school, he mentioned it to his mom and got the approval to go. Mostly since he had an uncle that lived in Australia and of course, because his parents never said no to him. __________________  
  
Keira Rawstone had been having the most horrible day, her boss had threatened to fire her, her boyfriend Matt had broken up with her, and she had lost her best board to Brandon Riles , in a surfing competition. She came home that night from getting a vanilla frappaciono (sp) at the cornor store, after arguing with her older sister to get off the computer , she finally got on. Keira went to google.com to look at pictures of Elijah Wood, when one of the links came up for the Tolkien Forum, when she clicked on it, she realized it was for the Lord of the Rings, she knew what it was cause she had gone to see fotr and tt with Matt when they were going out, she loved the movies, but had never read the books. She was about to exit out of it when she saw a thread that read something about a convention in New Zealand. The more she read, the more she liked. She called up the airport and made reservations to go. She didn't care if her parents told her she couldn't go, she would sneak out if she had to __________________  
  
"Theodore!!!" came a call from downstairs, "The phone's for you!"  
  
Theodore only barely turned his head from the computer screen to acknowledge the voice. "Ok, Mom!" He called and then, clicking once with his black mouse button, he pushed hard with both feet so that the comfy computer chair just slid across the plastic rug from the desk he was at to another desk behind him. With a firm stomp of his feet on the floor to stop the chair he spun quickly around and scanned the messy desktop in front of him for the telephone. Papers, trash, pens, folders, office items, and whatnot covered the surface of the desk, and it wasn't until Theodore sifted through a few piles of paper that he finally found the phone.  
  
"Hey!" He said in a husky voice, pushing off the floor again and sliding back to the computer desk with a flourish.  
  
"Hey man, what's up?" Came a voice on the other end. It was Joe, Theodore's bestfriend and mental rival.  
  
"Dude, you're never going to guess where I'm going next summer. . . ."  
  
"Montana?" Joe joked.  
  
Ted threw back his head and laughed, giving his eyes a glimpse of the white ceiling above him. "Heck no! Guess again!"  
  
"You're going to Hawaii with Kara."  
  
"Riiight . . . you know that'd never fly with Mom and Dad! I'll have to wait for college for that one." Ted laughed again. "But I wish . . . this is almost as good though."  
  
"I give up man, just tell me!"  
  
"You give up? Wow, I never though I'd see the day. . . ." Ted teased.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in! At least it wasn't me who forgot my physics project last week. . . ."  
  
"Oh, whatever!" Ted rolled his eyes and picked up a piece of paper. Wadding it into a ball, he threw it into a nearby garbage can. Swish. He surveyed the clean computer desk with satisfaction and ignored the messy desk a few feet behind him. "You know that Tolkien website I've been trying to get you to join for the past few months?"  
  
"Yeah . . . that place that takes up far too much of your time that you could be spending elsewhere? The debates do sound like fun, and I know you kick butt in those, but I can't see the fun of spending my hours on the computer like that!"  
  
"Dude, they're having a convention and I'm GOING!!!!!!" Theodore clicked emphatically with his mouse button. A dark green screen popped up in front of him and he began to read. "It's going to be in Wellington, New Zealand! I'm going to get to see all the places the movie was made . . . I'm going to get to hang out with these people I've met on here and talk Tolkien ALL DAY!"  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that your parents are letting you do this?" Joe's voice was quiet.  
  
"Yeah, it's my Senior trip, man! Next summer . . . Senior trip . . . I'll fly across the ocean and live in the land 'o Middle-earth." Ted's head bobbed back and forth in a bragging fashion as he leaned back comfortably in his chair, hands behind his head.  
  
"Can I come?"  
  
"Hahaha . . . I can't pay for both of us, and besides you'd have to join the forum! But yeah, you can come if you can manage to talk your parents into it."  
  
"Dude, I'll try!"  
  
"It'd be a trip of a lifetime, that's for sure!" 


	2. BeforeHand or Before the Convention

Theodore sighed and leaned his head against the cold airplane window. Far below him was the ocean. It was finally here! Ted looked sideways at his best friend, Joe, and grinned. This was going to be the trip of a lifetime, and he'd waited an entire year for it! __________________  
  
Keira fidgeted in her seat, this was the moment she had anticipated for a year. They were about to land, *Omygod, I can't believe i'm gonna be where Elijah Wood lived for 3 or 4 years, I wonder what the other people look like that are coming* she thought to herself. ' You nervous about something' the guy sitting next to her asked 'Kind of' Keira answered him looking out her window they were finally there. She got off and walked into baggage claim, after getting her bag she walked outside and looked around in astonishment. __________________  
  
" Is this your first time on an airplane mam?" The beautiful face of the stewardess beamed as she saw Joan's pale clenched hands on the arm rest of the window seat in the PAL flight 205. Joan nodded in response and the stewardess smiled gently and then gave her a long sermon about how safe it is still to fly. However there was a huge space between Joan's brain and her ear that she gave no attention to her. Her main concern was to control herself from throwing up, which she wasn't all that successful as they started to land, she managed to fill 4 gag bags.  
  
She was taken to the nearest hospital where she was treated for nausea, before she checked in one of the hotels near the area of the convention. There was 2 more days to go before the convention started, she wanted more time to shop, however she spent all two days resting and recovering from the flight.  
  
Finally at the end of the second day she decided to roam around, and went inside a convenience store to purchase some gatorade. As she was about to leave the store, someone accidentally bumped into her making her fall to the ground and spill the gatorade and gum she just bought. The tall young man said dozens of apologies, but Joan felt like going home, and was anything but nice to him. "Next time be more careful, there are other people other than you in this world you know!" she snapped at him when he tried to help her up. He even offered to buy her another set of the items that were broken on the floor, but she ranted about how she may be asian but she's anything but poor. Giving up, he finally left the store, mumbling to himself, Joan repurchased the items and went back to her hotel. __________________  
  
The week before the convention, Nick Stewart was on a plane headed for Australia. He hung out with his uncle only when he wasn't bored of surfing or seeing the sights with the friends he inevitably made while at the beach. His uncle was usually busy, but always tried to make the time to entertain his pampered nephew. 


	3. The Beginning of the Convention

The next morning was convention day. She started early, wearing a light pea jacket and scarlet t-shirt with the words "FIERY ELF" printed on it, and jeans. Topping her style was a knitted black and white beret. Her long black hair - recently rebonded - flowed like silk, she was asian and proud of it.  
  
As she approached the area, it reminded her of a fair, like the ones she saw on tv, there were booths, and small shops, as well as an exhibit, and in the center of it all was the set of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. It was like a dream, but better, Joan was welcomed by a nice looking half asian half irish girl, she recognized her voice, " Elbereth?" The girl looked at Joan and a bit puzzled, she smiled but questions were all over her face, " It's me! Narya!" __________________  
  
Keira was nervous but you couldn't tell that she was. *Well here goes* she thought to herself as she walked into the area. She had decided to wear a black short sleeve shirt, on the front was a picture of Merry holding up a broken carrot (from the shortcut to mushrooms scene), and on the back in red letters was the phrase "I think I've broken something". Her jeans were worn out at the knees, and she had on a pair of red and black sandals. Her brown hair was up in a twisted bun.  
  
She made her way over to a group of people, that were having a conversation about Merry and Pippin. 'Hello' . a guy with blonde hair that was wearing a dark blue jacket said looking at Keira 'Merry fan eh' he added. Keira looked down at her shirt, then laughed feeling rather stupid that she forgot what shirt she was wearing. ' Can't ya tell' she said smiling. 'Cool me too' he said unzipping his jacket to reveal a dark blue shirt, with the word merry written across it in royal blue letters.  
  
'So what's your name' he asked Keira 'It's Keira but all my friends call me Keir' 'Cool my names Kyle, i'm from Ontario, Canada, you' 'Oh umm, Hawaii'  
  
After talking a little bit longer they both decided to go talk to other people, visit the booths and look in the shops __________________  
  
After getting dropped off at the convention site and tossing a farewell at his uncle, Nick stomped around, looking for anything interesting. He mostly saw what looked like geeks talking about the huge books he didn't have the attention span to read. Starting to wonder what made him ask to come here in the first place, he almost pulled his cellular phone out to call his uncle, but was attracted to a table full of merchandise. Since he'd love surprising his friends with yet more reasons to ignore his obvious deficiency in intellect, he bought roughly twenty-seven thousand (not really) shirts and caps and posters and things. Nick then yawned and looked down at what were mostly a bunch of little geeks around him. "Now what?" __________________  
  
Ted and Joe walked side-by-side across the crowded gravel walkways of the Tolkien Convention. Every now and then they would stop at a booth to gawk and discuss certain items that caught their attention, but most often they were too involved in an animated discussion about lightspeed to even notice anything else. Ted had been meeting friends all day and was hungering for some good, deep conversation. Joe fit right into that mold. 


	4. Four Gifts

"Narya?!" she squealed, then they exchanged hugs, and almost like High School yuppies, went into a never ending "Oh I know" 's, and "oh my gosh!"'s, then looking at each other's outfits flattering each other, before talking about the "boys" who attended. " So...Is he here?" Joan asked, the girl nodded knowing exactly whom she was referring to. Joan gave a sigh, then asked, "What about her? She here too?" Again a nod of affirmation was given. Joan hung her head, slowly realizing that attending the affair was not a very good idea after all. But just then, a young man carrying large bags of T-Shirts and caps bumped into her, making her spill lattè on her shirt. She screamed, he turned and said, "Oh, sorry dude!" then turned away. This was the kind of manner that would send Joan in the mood for a good verbal fight.  
  
" Is that all you have to say to me? Oh sorry dude" she said mocking his thick american accent.  
  
" whatever dude, whatever, peace, God Bless!" He answered back, slinging the bags on his back and leaving them with their mouth's wide open in utter disgust.  
  
As he turned Joan made a move to clobber him but the girl Elbereth stopped her, "He's Nick Stewart Narya, the richest guy in this convention I heard, don't waste your time on a spoiled brat like that. Come on girl, let's just buy another shirt over there." With that Joan left the scene muttering to herself that if she ever saw him again, she would make him pay for this incident.  
  
-----------------  
  
Meanwhile, not far from the grounds a conspicuous character set up a rather small booth selling large pendants, and other odd jewelries. Though no one seems to be interested in his merchandise, the man remained in his booth looking out as if expecting someone to appear or waiting for someone who he knows will show up. It was then that Joan and Elbereth approached the booth of T-shirts beside him. While Elbereth and Joan seached the T-shirts one by one, looking for something appropriate, a glint caught Joan's eye. It was from one of the hanging pendants in the booth beside them. Now, Joan was very into jewelries especially ones that were cunningly made by hands, a great collector of one of a kind ornaments - when she can afford them - the small booth caught her attention.  
  
"Fancy a pendant?" Joan softly fingered the hanging pendants and they jingled softly. One caught her eye, it was rather small, made of silver but a bit tarnished by time, there was a long silver chain attached to it intricately, Joan has never seen such craftsmandship before, it had intricate vines all over it, and a large tree was in the back. The round orb like pendant opened to reveal a letter in Sindarin runes. Being an impulsive buyer she immediately took out her wallet asked the man for it's price. But he refused. "Oh now, that is a very special pendant my dear. I'm afraid if you take that it may affect you more than you would like. Are you sure you want to take it?"  
  
"How much is it?" Joan said in an impatient tone.  
  
"Do you really want it, dear girl? It may change you"  
  
"Look, are you gonna sell that thing or not?" Joan said, slightly turning red with anger.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you now, you can have that, it's on me." Then the man gave her a wink and placed the pendant in her hand, chain and all. And the moment that his hand left hers, she felt a slight tingling sensation in her nape.  
  
"Just like that? Well, ok, thanks, I'll get this one too, and here.." Joan paid the man $50.00 for the necklace made of bronze with the letter J dangling on it, so as not to feel any more guilty about taking a free one. __________________  
  
After running into that evil little lady, Nick shrugged and grabbed a seat. He tossed his bags full of merchandise on the chair beside him, then stretched out with all kinds of boredom. "Now I got stuff for my pals. There's nothing here that I don't already have, but the rest of this money is burning a hole in my wallet!"  
  
He grabbed the bags and jumped up to check out the rest of the convention center. He entered himself in a lottery for some rare and signed memorabilia, bought some pipes for his dad and uncle that looked like they came from the movies, got some jewelry for his mom, and stopped at the last booth with all kinds of amusement.  
  
Everyday items that didn't look like they didn't have much to do with LOTR were being sold. "Dude, who's gonna buy a towel at a place like this? You should be selling what everyone else is."  
  
The peculiar salesman tossed him a knowing smile and turned Nick's attention to the other items with an expansive gesture. "Don't need a towel, then? How about a comb for that hair?"  
  
Nick reflexively shot his hand up to his hair. "Dude, that's not cool. This is the popular look back in the states. Uh, let me see here. I still need to get something for me." His hand hovered above every item for a couple of seconds since all of them could be useful, but when he got to a pair of black slippers with some crazy markings on the toes, he remembered that the floors of the dorm room he'd be staying in at college were uncomfortable. "Okay, I'll take these slippers. How much?"  
  
The salesman looked at him with amusement this time. "You need slippers more than another towel? These aren't your everday slippers. Sure you don't want the comb?"  
  
Nick covered his head again, then stuck his hand deep into his pocket with a look of frustration. "I already have a comb. Who needs two combs? I'll take the slippers. What's so great about them, anyway? Aren't slippers all the same?"  
  
The salesman shook his head as he stuffed the slippers into a bag and held them out. "You'll find out, I'm sure." Nick grabbed the bag and walked off, touching his hair with all kinds of protectiveness, not noticing that he was never asked to pay. __________________  
  
Keira was walking over to a booth, when she noticed someone standing alone by a tree. Curious she walked over, it was a man, he was holding a hankerchief (sp). 'Hey' she said to the man, he turned to face her, 'yes' he asked. Keira walked towards the man, but the man stepped back. 'that hankerchief there, can i see it'. The man looked at her then the hankerchief than back at Keira'No miss, and it's may I see it, not can I' 'What are you my English teacher' she told the man raising an eyebrow 'But, may I please see it' Hesitant the man handed it to her, she ran her fingers over it. There was a silvery-blue Sindarin letter on it, underneath the letter, were some silver stars.  
  
'How much' she asked getting out her wallet. 'It isn't for sale' he said jerking it out of her hand 'I really want it I'll give you..' she started than opened up her wallet to see a twenty dollar bill, 'twenty dollars' she continued the man eyed her, 'It is not for sale' 'Look Mister, I really, really want it, and I'm not leaving till I get it' The man looked her up and down, knowing that she would keep to her word, he slowly handed the hankerchief to her, 'It is yours, but if something happens, don't say I didn't warn you' the man said than mysteriously walked off. Keira put it in her pocket than walked off, to a food booth __________________  
  
Ted and Joe walked side-by-side across the crowded gravel walkways of the Tolkien Convention. Every now and then they would stop at a booth to gawk and discuss certain items that caught their attention, but most often they were too involved in an animated discussion about lightspeed to even notice anything else. Ted had been meeting friends all day and was hungering for some good, deep conversation. Joe fit right into that mold.  
  
After some minutes of creasing foreheads and wracking brains, Joe commented, "You need to enjoy yourself here, Ted. You spend all your days at home being so serious and intelligent . . . it sometimes takes forever to get you to lighten up!"  
  
"Uhh . . ." Ted began, " thanks man."  
  
"You're welcome!" Joe grinned from ear to ear. "Hey, check this out! Wanna by something for Kara?" He stopped beside a small booth, behind which sat a little man with an impish grin on his face. All he was selling was rings. Gold rings, silver rings, light rings, dark rings. Something unpleasant tickled the back of Joe's memory . . . he seemed to remember the same guy at a different booth not far back. He shook his head and forgot about it.  
  
"Hmm. . . ." Ted said and then stopped, his eye catching a thick pewter ring scrolled in and out with leaf-like swirls, who's reflection in a nearby mirror glittered intoxicatingly. It reminded him of something that he would call "Elvish," a style of which he was particularly fond. Everything Elvish was so distinguished! His hands grasped it almost immediately and he looked up to see the little man staring at him in the eyes.  
  
"You sure you want that?" The man questioned, the corners of his mouth twitching.  
  
"I don't think you could make me part with it if you tried." Ted answered.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you. . . ."  
  
"How much?" Ted's fingers traced the intricate vines on the ring.  
  
"Free. Take it. I see you like it."  
  
"Common man, I can't just do that!" Ted's face was completely serious.  
  
"Take it!" The little man screamed from behind his booth.  
  
Ted jumped and made a run for it, Joe laughing behind him. "Geez, man, you don't have to run like a scared dog."  
  
"What the heck did he want anyway?" Ted mused outloud. He fingered the ring slowly, a look of concentration on his face, and the popped it onto the middle finger of his left hand. His finger started to tingle. 


	5. Ha, nice one Joan

"This is perfect, Elb! Nice choice!" Joan said admiriing the Purple V-neck shirt Elbereth found in one of the booths, it was a real bargain too, she got it for only $10.00! It was smashing! Purple with silver stars all around it and hugged her slim figure perfectly. "Wait till he sees you in this!"  
  
" Oh I know...Then again, I'd rather show myself to others, it's not good going after that guy when he's just going to turn you down in the end." giggling like a silly preschooler, Joan decided she would wear this shirt all throughout the day. Hoping to catch the attention of other male members of TTF.  
  
They both went out of the ladies room satisfied and ready to do some "hunting" but both got hungry and decided to get a hotdog. They were merrily walking finding a spot where they can sit down and quietly eat, when suddenly a tall robust guy bumped into them spilling the insides of the hotdog all over Joan's new shirt. The guy apologized to high heavens, but Joan just stared at her shirt, her beautiful new purple shirt. "Doesn't anybody here look at where they are going?!" When she looked up, lo and behold! It was the same person she bumped into at the convenience store! "YOU!!!" The fellow apologized again. "Well isn't this nice? First you run into me at the convenience store like a freaking spastic, and now you bump into me again destroying a perfect shirt that I JUST BOUGHT!!!"  
  
"I said I was sorry..." The guy said calmly a bit annoyed at Joan for making a scene. The other guy though wasn't too enthusiastic in fact he blurted out obscene language at Joan for even calling his friend a Spastic! In public!  
  
"Who the hell are you and why are you even alive?" Joan said raising her left eyebrow.  
  
" He's Joe, and I'm Theo. We're glad to meet you....miss???[b]" The other guy said trying to calm things down. Elbereth was just as astonished at Joan's attitude that she slowly slinked back and covered her face.  
  
Clearly seeing that everyone was around them and looking and waiting for some action, Joan realized this wasn't exactly her shining moment. [b]"Lee. Joan Lee. I'm sorry, I just had a rather bad day, and this is my second shirt for that past hour!"  
  
"If you'd like I would buy you another shirt, maybe just like that one. What do you say?" Theodore just managed to calm the crowd and push them away to do their own business.  
  
"Do I look like a beggar to you? I can purchase another shirt thank you very much. I hope this is the last time we run into each other." Theo reached out his hand but Joan snubbed it and walked the other way. Joe sneered but Theodore looked in wonder. "How can so much angst be inside a little person?" he said. "Never mind her dude." __________________  
  
Nick stuffed the bag with the slippers into one of his larger bags. Walking back the way he came, he saw the lady he ran into earlier getting bumped by some other guy. "Ha! She's unlucky. I wonder if this place has any good luck charms. Sounds like something they should have." Happy to spend money that he never earned, he grabbed his considerably lighter wallet and looked down at it with indecision. "Not much left. Oh, well. I'll save that for supper. Does this thing even have a program?" Forgetting why he even looked in his wallet to begin with, he stomped off to look for some paper that might tell him what the plan was for this convention 


	6. Do You Want to See Middle Earth?

The second day of the convention started out smoothly, everyone was dressed in Middle Earth fashion, naturally Joan wanted to look smashing so she decided to wear a sexy belly dancer like red dress with gold accessories. Topping her look was the weird necklace she bought the other day. "I am the ring of Fire, anyway, aren't I? I'm just being true to my character." She assured herself as she walked toward the covered pavillion just in front of the exhibit area where stuff from the movie where being displayed. "I am going to make them drool with this dress" Then she covered herself with a large red hood with white feathers.  
  
As she entered the Pavillion, she saw that there were many who thought the same way as she did as most of the attendees were wearing very sexy outfits. Only the younger membesrs of TTF were wearing Renfest- like gowns. The guys were a mix of Knights, dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits. But she noticed one guy wearing a large golden crown upon his head. It was Nick Stewart, the richest guy at the convention she thought. All the girls were swamping him drooling at his good looks. " And no doubt at his wallet too" She walked to the opposite direction and saw Theodore with Joe in a simple elvish-like garb sipping cranberry juice. "This isn't working...Where are the hot guys?!" Then an announcer stood at the podium and announced that there will be a King and Queen of the night award, and that afterwards they were to head off to the exhibit area.  
  
Joan definitely hated these "prom-like" event,s "Why would they need that? Ugh!" Then she scooted off. But just as she raced toward the balcony overlooking the exhibit area, she saw the old man who sold her the pendant. He was dressed in a Gandalf wardrobe. "So you are a member of TTF too, ha?" She said approaching him. "So who were you there?" The old man turned to look at her, and smiled, the hair at Joan's nape tingled. "I was Gandalf." He said. "Yeah right! Anyway, I'm Narya." She held out her hand. But he never took it. He just smiled at her and said, "I know... But you won't be very soon." Joan started. Looking at the man with her face puzzled, "What the hell do you mean by that?"  
  
"Do you want to see Middle Earth, Narya?" He asked. Joan started feeling a bit scared. But she answered like she was compelled to. "Of course I want to see Middle Earth, that's why I came to this convention mister..."  
  
"Maybe I will take her with me...it will do her a lot of good" the old man appeared to be talking to someone Joan can't see. Then he looked back at Joan, which made her uncomfortable. " Maybe I will..." realizing that maybe this old man was a loon, Joan felt extremely scared.  
  
"Oh...Kay! I have to go back inside it's not really good to be wearing this out here. " Joan started walking back then she ran and made off to the powder room. She didn't see the old man laugh and disappear into thin air. __________________  
  
Keira was walking to the pavillion, she was dressed in a black and dark blue dress, with a silver chain around her neck, the hankerchief was tucked in a hidden pocket. She had worn her hair down crimped. She walked in and saw all the other girls dressed like her, and even better, but this didn't bother her, she knew she wasn't the prettiest girl there. When she entered the pavillion, she saw an Asian girl, in a red dress, the girl looked thrilled, and scared at the same time.  
  
She walked on some more, and saw two of the guys she had tripped and fallen into. They were wearing elvish garb, and talking amongst themselves. Keira kept walking, till she noticed Nick, the last guy she had run into, with about 15 girls swooning over him.  
  
'Keira' someone yelled from a table Keira turned to see Kyle, dressed as a hobbit, his feet were on the table. 'Kyle, love the outfit, you even have the curly hair, and hairy feet to match' she said sitting down across from him 'Yea, this is actually my real hair, when it's been curled' Kyle laughed, 'By the way you look lovely' Keira looked at him astonished not, expecting him to say that. 'Yo, kyle' a bunch of guys yelled from the middle of the pavillion Kyle told Keira bye for now and went off to see his friends.  
  
Off in the distance she saw a figure of a man, she walked over and saw that it was the man who sold her the hankerchief. The man was dressed as Gandalf. 'Hello' she waved trying to see if he would remember her, the man turned to her. 'Hello, hobbit*frodo21' he said looking at her Keira looked nervous that he knew what her screenname was without her even telling it too him. 'I am Gandalf' he continued. He kept asking her if she wanted to visit, and see MiddleEarth. 'Hmm, maybe she should come too' the man was talking to some one else unseen, though Keira thought he was talking to himself. Freaked out by the man's behavior, Keira ran off to find Kyle. __________________  
  
Nick Stewart had all kinds of fun with the attention he was getting and would take for granted anyway. This sort of thing came naturally to him. After swimming through the crowd to see if he had to sign up for the award, he found the slipper salesman behind the desk and dressed up like some wizard. "Oh, it's you again! How many jobs do you have here? Anyway, do I have to sign up somewhere for this King and Queen thing? I bet I'll win. See? I'm King Aragond. I haven't seen the new movie yet, but I bet he'll look something like this!"  
  
The salesman shook his head with all kinds of amusement and let him sign up. "You know, Aragond, I could take you to see the real Aragorn, er, Aragond. However you want to say it."  
  
Nick took a quick around, wondering if that actor was actually here. "No, really? Cool. I didn't know he'd be here. Okay. Where is he? I could get some autographs, I guess."  
  
The salesman finally started to look like he was losing patience. "He's not here. He's in Middle Earth. I was thinking of taking you."  
  
Nick looked at the guy with all kinds of confusion, but turned to one of the crowd that was following him around. When he looked back up, the desk was empty. He decided that the guy went off to hand some forms in or something. He shrugged and started to lead his group to the pavilion. __________________  
  
Theo was thrilled. Here he was, deep in a discussion about The Silmarillion with one of the major biggies of TTF. He could see Joe out of the corner of his eye shaking his head. But Ted's face was lit up with an excited light as he recalled a debate he and the man across the table had had, and he went head-to-head with his partner, fighting him with words.  
  
Joe yawned. What was he to do? Boredom was getting the better of him . . . and he shouldn't be yawning either. Theo had said it was important to get a good night's sleep instead of having a good night out in Wellington. The guy had his idiotic moments, that was for sure! He slowly stretched his neck from side to side and finally leaned his body against a nearby table with a look of disgust at his own elvish garb. At least Theo wasn't embarrassed to wear this stuff . . . but HE was. Suddenly, a bright gleam caught his eye. Theo's ring seemed to be pulsing with a yellow light that orbed and swirled. He shook his head but the pulsing refused to leave.  
  
"Hey Ted. . . ." he called out.  
  
"What?" Theo asked, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Check out your ring."  
  
With one last pulse, the light faded. Theo saw nothing abnormal and glared at his friend. "Geez man, if you're bored go find someone to talk to!"  
  
"I swear it was glowing a second ago! I swear it!" Ted grimaced and ignored his friend. Soon he was once again deep in a discussion of the Maiar of old. 


	7. Stuck in the Dark

Keira saw Kyle sitting down again with a couple of friends. She walked over to where they were sitting. "Hey Keir" Kyle said looking up from a piece of paper on the table. "So umm, these your friends" Keira asked looking at the others "Ya, this is Chris and Patrick" he said pointing to two twins, dressed as elves. "and this is Brent" he said pointing to a guy dressed as a hobbit. 'HI" Chris and Patrick said at the same time Brent leaned over to Kyle,"Dude, you're right she is hot"  
  
After awhile Keira walked off, she saw the two guys she had knocked down earlier. One was busy having a discussion about something called the Maiar of old. The other kept looking weird at his friend's ring. She looked around and saw that asian girl, talking to another girl, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Nick, and all his mindless drones following him everywhere. __________________  
  
" I swear to god, Goldie! There is a lunatic in this convention! " Joan said, her eyes widening her face flushed.  
  
"MY gawd!! Maybe its a patient from the local asylum!" Said the girl with golden locks, her nick in TTF was Goldberry344, and she was just as excited as Joan was.  
  
"Now hold it you guys..." Elbereth interupted rolling her eyes, "If he's here, and he's dressed up, maybe he's pretending too. Don't you think you're taking this way too seriously Narya? Besides there will be an acting award later, the best person who acts like the character he or she dressed up as will win. Didn't you hear that?"  
  
Feeling embarassed Joan agreed and the others shook their head. Then she retreated to the powder room again and wished she never came to the convention.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
The night wore on and everyone enjoyed the celebration. Nick Stewart was announced King of the night of course, and the Queen was a girl from Ireland who had dressed up as Galadriel. Then the coordinators announced the opening of the exhibit area, and everyone went outside.  
  
In the exhibit area, all the movie paraphernalia were set on display: Marvelous swords, costumes, shields, and even a replica of the one ring (since the real one used in the movie had been given to Elijah Wood and is in his keeping). At long last the night was over. Tomorrow will be the last day of the convention. Joan sighed as everything was going downhill. There were no guys, no hot date to take home, and her friends think she's hungry for attention. When suddenly she realized her necklace was missing.  
  
"It must've slipped...." She thought then hurriedly went back to where they had gone and searched endlessly for her necklace.  
  
Just as she was about to give up she stood up and saw that the whole room where she was in was suddenly dark - not pitch black dark - but dark like closing time dark. Frightened she beckoned slowly "Hello? I...I'm still here!" Then sounds of murmurs came from behind her, sweat the size of corn kernels dripped across her face as her fright turned into terror. But she took a chance, she slowly turned around and...  
  
It was Keira! She had also lost her hanky! __________________  
  
While walking around in the movie exhibit, Nick Stewart was busy entertaining his new friends and didn't have much time or interest to pay attention to the displays. As the day wore on, more and more of his friends left for their hotels. When the last one waved goodbye, he started getting bored and almost called his uncle to come get him, but his eyes landed on the replica of the One Ring, which made him think of some of his friends back home.  
  
He would often hang out in malls with them where they would peer pressure each other into shoplifting. Most of them had gotten caught at different times, but he had always observing and had never actually done it himself. He thought that coming back with something that he couldn't have bought would impress them.  
  
If anyone had been paying much attention to him, he was achingly obviously about to steal something. Luckily, he waited until everyone he could see wasn't looking in his direction. He whistled as he walked behind the display and opened the back to grab the One Ring. A few of the people who worked there and were supposed to be paying attention had been wearing Lord Of The Rings type clothes which made him look less out of place to anyone who might have glanced over.  
  
Nick slipped the One Ring into a pocket and ambled off as if he was interested in something a while away. After calling his uncle to come get him, he panicked when he couldn't find his bags of gifts. Deciding that he must have set them down in a chair somewhere, he ran back into that place where all of the shops were. __________________  
  
"o. god, o god, o god" Keira said looking around frantically, and feeling for her hanky in her pocket, " I can't belive I lost it, I paid good money for it, wait I didn't pay anything for it, but that's not the point" She walked back to where she had been hanging out mostly in the exhibit. Since it was kind of dark she kept running into things. There was a light near where she stopped to pick up a chair she had knocked over. She looked over to to where it was coming from and saw the entrance doors. Keira got up to walk out and find a lightswitch, or someone who worked there, when the doors just closed. "o yay" she said sarcastically. There was a thudding sound, then someone bumped into her. She turned out of fright and curiosity to see Nick. __________________  
  
The orc leared, baring it's teeth in Theodore's face. Theodore screemed, a loud, shrill scream that echoed for a long time afterward. The ord came closer. Theodore could feel its breath on his throat, feel its teeth closing in a grip on his throat, feel pain shoot into his neck. "Why are you doing this to me, Gandalf?" He cried.  
  
Then he woke up in a cold sweat. He was sprawled out on a small table, though he barely remembered falling asleep upon it. Joe was no where to be seen. Ted panicked for a second, realizing that he was practically alone in the complex, as the sun had gone down and no one was in sight . . . surely his friend had to be close by! Surely he wouldn't have left. . . .  
  
Ted sat up and immediately looked at his left hand. His ring was gone. A cold fear gripped his heart . . . but was it cold? It was half ironic if anything. Ted snickered and slid off the table with the one thought of finding his ring in his mind. Any thoughts of Joe slid into the dark recessess of his head. Ted straightened himself, and then walked towards an open door that was pouring a welcome light onto the grounds. He wanted to see a human face first off, as the deserted grounds did not seem all that inviting to him at the moment. As soon as he entered, the door swung shut behind him and he stumbled and fell, tripped over a ledge and shut his eyes, not knowing where he would land. All was pitch dark.  
  
"Ooosh!!!!" Ted landed hard on his back and lay there groaning. 


	8. A change of character and a Promise Fulf...

Seeing Keira and Nick inside the same room with her made Joan a bit braver and a little annoyed. "Look if you two know the way out of this place please point it so I can go back home, ok?" A snicker came from Nick and the two girls looked at him sarcastically. He stopped. Then a loud thud was hurd somewhere inside the room and all three of them went to it's direction only to see Theodore sprawled on the floor. Keira helped him to his feet and before Joan could utter another insult a voice spoke.  
  
"I see you are all here..." All four of them stood up and looked around as the voice seemed to come from every direction.  
  
"I have come to take you to Middle Earth as I promised..."  
  
"This isn't funny!!" Joan screamed. "NOT FUNNY AT ALL!!!" __________________  
  
"Who's doing that,whoever it is stop it" Keira screamed But the voice wouldn't, "I have brought you all here for a special purpose each"  
  
Suddenly the lights came back on, in the center of the room was the old man each had recieved their now lost items from, but there was something different about him. He looked more like Gandalf, then he had earlier. "I am Gandalf" he said in a loud booming voice __________________  
  
" Oh great!!!" Joan said rolling her eyes so far up anyone would think she's having seizures. "Ok...Look Mister, I've had enough foolishness for one day. I wanna go back home, and..."  
  
"Patience...patience." The old man replied. Looking at Nick Stewart with a strange light in his eyes. "So, young man, you want the One Ring, do you? I think that can be arranged. You did not need to steal it." at this remark Nick got extremely annoyed. He didn't like to be embarassed like that, and everyone was looking at him with disgust, especially Joan.  
  
"Why? Can't afford it, Mr. richest-person-at-the-convention?"  
  
"And you, need a good change of character." The old man said to Joan. Which irritated her very much. "In fact all of you need to...change. I believe it will do you good. All of you." __________________  
  
Nick's eyes widened with surprise as his hand flew down to the pocket with the One Ring in it. When Joan mentioned his money, though, he couldn't help grinning from the recognition. He wiped the grin from his face and lowered his head a little when he paid enough attention to become confused. He raised it with the One Ring in his hand to hold out to Gandalf. "Uh, what are you talking about, dude? I don't need any changes right now. I just came to grab my slippers. And you're saying that I can just keep this thing now? Cool!" __________________  
  
A flash of lightning smote the air and all four of them covered their eyes and screams flew. When they opened them they were all alone in a room with no doors nor objects. There was nothing except them and the old men.  
  
Nick still holding the One Ring replica in his hand felt a strong pull at the ring from above, and though he tried hard not to let it go, the force was too strong and the ring went flying into the vast darkness above them. And the old man spoke, " I can see that you are all in need of many things, which I, unfortunately cannot give you. But these are things which you can give to yourselves. Before you purchased your slippers, I mentioned it may change you and you seemed indifferent to my warning, always thinking your money can save you from whatever disaster you may place yourself into. And you..." He said turning to Keira "I said the same warning but you paid no attention thinking you are having fun and it doesn't matter somehow. " He turned to Joan, "And you are too proud to even consider any word I say. Lastly, you, Theodore, of all here have been the most interested in Middle Earth, the most knowledgeable, but till this time, you still don't know the real meaning of it." He paused and all were awaiting some sort of punishment from him, but he smiled and the room went back to the way it was, and the bright light that had shown upon the old man faded slowly.  
  
"Now, I believe I promised one thing to each of you, which I intend to keep. " A large doorway appeared behind the old man, the arch had elvish writings upon it. "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!" The old man said in a loud booming voice and the doors opened and a large beam of light sucked all of them inside. 


	9. Aaahhh, I'm a hobbit

Joan yawned loudly and stretched as a new morning greated her. The smell of tea and freshly baked bread was everywhere and she smiled as opened her eyes expecting to see the beautiful painting on the ceiling of her hotel room. But all she could see was a brown coloured low uneven ceiling. She looked around and she was in a rather small room with a round window and a round opening which had no door. Then she sat up, and saw that she was inside a room she has never been in. Then she started to stand and looking for slippers she noticed something that made her hair stand on end and she gave out a loud scream.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! __________________  
  
Keira was snuggling with the blankets in her bed. "Get up, sleepyhead" someone said shaking her. Thinking it was the maid, room service, or someone else working at the hotel, she lifted her hand out from under the covers, and motioned the person to go away. But the person wouldn't and the next thing Keira knows, the blanket is being ripped off of her, "Ok, ok, I'm up" she said opening her eyes to see a man, walking out of the room. That was weird she thought shaking her head. Keira looked around, this wasn't the place she was staying at. She blinked thinking maybe she was still dreaming. Looking down at the floor she noticed something weird. there was hair on her feet. She knelt down, and pulled on the hair, trying to see if a joke had been played on her. "Ouch" __________________  
  
Joan's head swam, so many questions raced to find answers were swelling inside her. " Hairy feet...hairy feet...Hairy feet..." she said shakily. Over and over as if it was some sort of a mantra. Then a small mirror placed crudely at the top of a small table with lots of assortments of whatchamacallits caught her eye, and as she gazed her fears turned to terror. Complete, unadulterated terror!  
  
"AHHHHHHHH!!!! My hair...my hair...my hair! Noo! My boobs! What happened to my big boobs!" She said feeling the almost flat chest that used to be, what she thought, was a major come on. Then she noticed another difference that made her vomit, her outfit. "DWAAARRRKKKK!!!! Ugh! Oh god...oh god...oh...my...god!!!" Then the reality sank, and so did Joan. She pinched herself to convince her that it's all real. And she bled, pinching so hard with long dirty fingernails.  
  
"I'm....a...Hobbit..." She said at last, her tears started falling and she wimpered. She thought that it was all just a joke, or even a dream. She wanted to be in Middle Earth but not like this. Not as a hobbit. She figured with her good looks and attitude she should at least be an Elf. Even a lesser kind without any real role in the story would have sufficed. But not this...never this. It took her quite some time before she would get out and figure things out.  
  
She walked around the house, first in circles as the rooms opened up one after the other, because hobbit houses have only one door and that the front one, all the other rooms are divided only by round openings, and so Joan found herself going in circles. Then a door did open and close and someone went inside. She panicked. Who could it be? She wondered. Then an old man came in carrying a crude almost ancient kind of pitch fork and said, "Oh, I see yer up at last. 'bout time too, was about to pour some water on that darn face of yours, why I've been shaking you like a dragon for hours and still you haven't come to. Mr. Bilbo's been lookin' for you all mornin'. You better scuttle over there and see what he wants Sam."  
  
At the sound of that name Joan felt like a huge object was hurled with great force at her direction. "What did you call me??" She asked, her anxiousness growing, being a hobbit was really a nightmare - to be stuck with hairy feet, and curly hair and to be short! But to be this hobbit...was unimaginable.  
  
"Did you just say...(gulp!) Sam??" She said her eyes blinking rapidly as if a stroke was about to happen.  
  
"Alright then, would you prefer Samwise Gamgee?? Or Mr. Gamgee perhaps, Hmm? Stop this foolishness right now young man before I smack your bottom with this here pitchfork. Get out there and get..." Before he could finish Joan fell to the floor. __________________  
  
Nick Stewart's eyes slowly flickered open when he became aware of the pain in his back. He let himself fall sleepily to the floor. Once down, he couldn't help smelling how different this place was from his uncle's house. Shaking his head, he forced himself to stand up and try to work things out. "What? Ugh. Where I am I?" He took a seat on his bed to try remembering what had happened. He didn't figure out that he was a hobbit since he wasn't paying much attention. "Okay, I remember that Gandalf dude. What else? oh well. I'll just go back to bed. I hate dreams like this." __________________  
  
"why won't this stupid hair come off" Keira said still tugging at the hair on her feet. It was no use though the hair wouldn't. So, she got up from the floor, walking over to the dresser she saw a small mirror. The mirror had dirt smudges all over it. Keira looked at herself, her face, her hair it was all different. She shook her head thinking maybe she had been fallen asleep while watching the Lord of the Rings on HBO. She walked out of the room, still trying to figure out who that man was who took her nice soft blanket. "Meriadoc Brandybuck" a voice said from behind her, thinking they were talking to someone else she kept on walking. Then she felt someone grab her by the ear"Meriadoc you turn to me when I'm talking to you" __________________  
  
Pimpernel Took remembered all too well that his brother had promised him a game of marbles first thing in the morning. He also knew that his brother was not looking forward to the game, and so he took it upon himself to wake up his sibling. The sun had already risen in the sky, and though it was only 7:30 in the morning, Pimpernel decided that it was late enough to awaken Pippin. He knew his brother's all-to-fond love of sleep, and he knew that if he didn't do something that the game of marbles would be waiting for a very long time. And it wasn't always that you could completely destroy your younger brother at your favorite game, nor was it often that you got to wake him from a deep sleep with a douse of cold water on his neck.  
  
Pimpernel grinned and rubbed his hands together with relish. He didn't get to tease Pip enough, and this opportunity was just too grand to miss. Tiptoeing down the wooden hall, being cautious to avoid the one squeeking floorboard, Pimp approached his brother's room, a pitcher of ice cold water in hand. Quietly he turned the doorknob and peered into the room. Sure enough, there was Pip, snoring away soundly beneath the white sheets with a completely idiotic look on his face. You would think that he was dreaming about some pretty Hobbit lass with that look on his face. He was a fun- loving one . . . but, whatever, he was great fun to beat at marbles! Pimp tiptoed some more, issued the cold shower he had prepared, and laughed a shrill laugh as his brother shot up from the bed wide-eyed.  
  
"What in the heck?" Shouted Theo, sitting up as fast as he could as his eyes focused beneath the dripping water. He started, unable to believe his eyes, his mind working faster than he had ever remembered. He was sitting in a small, comfortable wooden bed in a small room with rounded corners, surrounded by all kinds of comfortable, rounded furnishings. There were wooden chairs covered with inviting cushions, a dresser with an old- fashioned wash pitcher upon it, a night stand with a candle, and a tall oval mirror neatly washed, all lit with the sunlight that poured through the glass panes of a nearby rounded window. And there, staring at him in the face, stood a Hobbit. The Hobbit seemed to be laughing his head off. What did it all mean? Was he still dreaming? Whatever the case, Theo decided that he did not want to wake up. Everything seemed too real anyway, and he decided that even if he tried to wake up, nothing would change. He remembered dimly waking up upon a table amongst the Convention stands, but from then on things got shady in his mind. He remembered losing his ring and then searching to find it . . . only then things had gotten weird. He could remember the weird wizard man, staring at him with impish little eyes. The old man actually had the nerve to say he could transport people to Middle-earth! Theo's breath caught and he looked around himself once more. Wait a minute . . . he was in Middle-earth! The man had spoken the truth! Unless this whole thing was still a dream, which was completely possible. But the old wizard had also said that he needed to change. That was idiotic in itself. Theodore Tandeski was told by no one that he needed to change. He had brains, and brains were what counted.  
  
The Hobbit at his bed side had stopped laughing, for indeed, he was quite puzzled. Pimp did not understand why his brother did not get upset or even seem to notice the freezing water dripping down his face. His fun had been spoiled, simply because of Pip's odd reaction. "What kind of a word is 'heck?' You sound like some human from Bree!"  
  
"Uhhh. . . ." Was all Theo could manage. He needed to use his brains now if ever! Theodore fully intended to enjoy this time. Since he was in Middle- earth, he might as well make use of it and become a ruling lord or something. Afterall, his mind was much more sophisticated than most of the people in this fantasy world, and to top it off, he knew the entire history of this world, or as much as had been created! There Theodore's mind stopped as though it had hit a brick wall, and he fell back with a short laugh. How could he be in Middle-earth? I mean . . . did that mean he could change the future of this Middle-earth as well? Or wait . . . was it a dream?  
  
More cold water hit him in the face, this time thrown by a slightly angry Hobbit. "Where's your head this morning, Peregrin Took! You aren't even acting like yourself! I guess I shouldn't ask you where your head is since you never use it anyway, but whatever!" The little Hobbit stomped an impatient foot.  
  
"Hey there now!" Theo sat up in the bed and folded the sheets across his chest daintily. "Don't you go talking to me that way! I am by NO means going to put up with it! You will talk to me with decency and respect . . . you do not know who you are addressing!"  
  
"So that's the game, is it?" The little Hobbit almost shouted, obviously angry by this time. "You have decided to pretend that you are insane simply to get out of a single game of marbles. You are hopeless! You can't even keep a promise! You don't have the conscience!"  
  
"I am Theodore, King of Middle-earth!" Theo said with a swaying lilt in his voice, obviously enjoying the moment.  
  
Now, the Hobbit merely roared with laughter, forgetting everything in his amusement. "Get out of bed you lazy thing and get ready to play marbles . . . I'm going to beat you grandly."  
  
"Ah, whatever, but I don't know about the marbles. I've got a lot of exploring to do."  
  
Pimp threw up his hands in a hopeless gesture. "You promised, and I will hold you to your word. Now then, if you don't play marbles, I won't lend you the cart you need to make the trip to Hobbiton." He grinned from ear-to- ear.  
  
"Hobbiton? I'm going to Hobbiton?"  
  
The Hobbit rolled his eyes and turned around without another word. "See you in a bit when you're dressed . . . I'm going to tell Patsy not to make you any breakfast until you fulfill your promise." He left the room.  
  
Theo stared at the closing door, attempting to grasp what was going on. Almost drawn, but not quite wanting to look, he edged his way across the waxed wooden floor to the looking glass. He saw the reflection that he had been dreading to see, but almost knew that he would have. So he was a Hobbit. Why couldn't he have been an elf? Why couldn't he have been in Rivendell? Why couldn't he. . . . Theo fell back onto the bed, too overwhelmed to speak 


	10. All questions soon be answered

Keira turned around to see a female hobbit, "Whoa, I know I must be dreaming now, cause for a minute I thought you called me Meriadoc"   
  
The hobbit looked at her with a raised brow, "You must've hit your head harder than we thought, yesterday"   
  
"Look, lady, I think you've got the wrong person, my name's Keira, not Meriadoc, or Merry, or Mr. Brandybuck"   
  
The hobbit walked off shaking her head"He's gone insane" she muttered to herself walking off  
  
Keira ran back into the room she had woken up in. Why couldn't she have been an elf, or a human? Why a hobbit? Her thoughts then changed to other three who had recieved the gifts. Where were they, were they going through the exact same thing? And Kyle would she ever see him again? Through all the confusion and questions, Keira sank down to the ground crying.  
  
__________________  
  
A hard slap made Joan come to. She had been lying on the floor unconscious for some time now that the Gaffer started to worry, and that was bad. Shaking her head and feeling the left side of her face hot from the slaps she'd been getting, Joan stared widely at the image that had now cleared up in front of her. It was still the old man, and she started to wimper. She had expected to see a manager from the hotel or her mother or someone else - anyone else - except this man. But there he was in all his hobbitly glory.   
  
"'bout time you got to! Now get up boy, the mornin's wearin' away, and you best be going to work now. Mr. Bilbo needs our help. It be his burday - eleventy-one - today, mind you, lots of work to do.."  
  
"His what?" Joan heard what the gaffer said the first time, but the thought came like thunder in a clear day that it nearly stopped her breathing. She needed to hear it again.  
  
But the gaffer was no longer amused. He had tolerated what he thought was Sam's unpredictability too much now. It had to stop. "I won't say it again, Samwise, get up, and go straight to Mr. Bilbo and see what he needs to be done before the party begins."  
  
"That's what I thought you said..." Joan stood up, and quickly went out of the house, her mind reeling with the thought of staying as this hobbit for some time. The moment she got out a hubble of hobbits going here and there convinced her that it wasn't just a dream, though at first it was amusing to see them wandering about doing their business, she realized she can't stay here, not as one of them. Surely there must have been some mistake.   
  
She decided to look for the old man. "Of course...I should have thought of this before!" She said whacking her forehead lightly. Many hobbits found her actions a bit odd, and shook their heads saying to one another that he had been working for the Bagginses far too long he's gone insane. "All I need to is find that old guy and tell him to change me or bring me back. He must be here...maybe..." She thought of finding Mr. Bilbo, and recalled what had happened during the Unexpected Party  
  
and realized that Gandalf was going to see Bilbo just before the party. She looked around and found the house at last - Bag End - was exactly the way it was described in the book. A large round green door with a golden knob and a sign at the fence was enough to say this was where Mr. Bilbo lived. Joan knocked at the door, and Mr. Bilbo screamed at her telling her to go away.   
  
"Mr. Bilbo, it's me..S..Sam!" She said, the mere mention of that name was painful.  
  
"Yes, well you should know better, Samwise. Use the backdoor!" Bilbo yelled. It was clear to her that Sam never used the front door at all. So she scuttled around the Hill, to realize there wasn't any. Then she remembered Sam was small enough to fit through a window. And sure enough there was the large window facing the reading room of Bag End. She went inside and saw Bilbo Baggins.  
  
"Mr. Bilbo...Mr. Bilbo..."  
  
"Shhhhh! talk quietly Sam. Those blockheaded Bracegirdles may just come and I don't want them seeing me here..."  
  
"Oh yeah, right! Well, I was just wondering when you will be seeing Gandalf again?" Her accent and language, made Bilbo stop and think.   
  
"Why do you talk that way?" Joan realized that if she were to convince these people that she belongs there she had to sound like them, otherwise she won't get anywhere except to answer many questions. So she said it again, with difficulty, trying to sound like Sam, the accent was terribly difficult. "What I meant was, it's your birthday today Mr. Bilbo and I was wondering if Gandalf will come and bring his marvelous fireworks with him." Bilbo shrugged his shoulder, and said, "Oh well, I was hoping he'd come. It's been a while now. But I need you to help in the preparations Sam. Bring all of this to the party field." And the old hobbit gave Joan plates and spoons and still more plates to bring to the party field under the big tree. She rolled her eyes, but obeyed.  
  
When outside she gave all the plates to the other hobbit ladies who were helping with the preparations. Then a shadow walking amongst the trees caught her eye, and her heart started beating faster. Could it be? She ran to the direction of the shadow.  
  
__________________  
  
"Get up!" The old man had been staring at Nick stewart all morning. Nick who hadn't been paying much attention slept most of the morning away. "Get up!" the old man said again, poking Nick with his walking stick. Nick came to, and he looked him in the eye, Nick's eyes widened in fright. "Come. We have to talk. " And the old man hurridly got out of his room and out of the house, and suprisingly no one even noticed him.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Pimpernel just left the room when the door opened and closed again. Theo was still lying on the bed his eyes looking straight at the ceiling with disbelief, when the face of the old man appeared and Theo sat up scared beyond his wits.  
  
"Get up! We need to talk. Follow me." And the old man went out of the room and out of the house and no one even noticed he came by.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Keira was still crying when a hard thing hit her on the head. It was the old man's walking stick. When Keira turned about, she saw the old man and before she could utter a word he said, "Get up! We need to talk. Follow me." And he left the room, leaving Keira with her mouth wide open and her eyes wide with fright.  
  
__________________  
  
The old man was fast and Joan had to make do with the short legs and extra weight of Samwise Gamgee. But she was able to catch up. When at last the old man stopped walking they were in the forest and the hubbub was far away. Joan was panting like a dog, and she bended a little catching her breath with loud pants.  
  
"You...are one...sick...dude...Very...very...SICK!!! " She said, her anger getting the better of her.  
  
"Ah, you have come at last. I was about to fetch you. The others will join us in a short while. Take your time."  
  
And sure enough, Nick, Theo, and Keira came running along, and saw Joan and the old man standing in the midst of the trees.  
  
"Welcome...to Middle Earth." The old man said with a big smile in his face and his arms raised up high. The hobbits were all panting, catching their breaths.  
  
Joan was the first to get her act together. "Ok...What's the big idea making us all hobbits?? And howcome I get to be Sam?"  
  
The old man looked at Joan still smiling, and answered, " You needed a change. Being Sam for the duration of the adventure will be a good change for you I think. So will being Merry to Keira, or Pippin to Theo, and Frodo to Nick."  
  
"WHAT?!" Joan could hardly believe her ears. "This...this...Moron gets to play the main character?" The old man's smile became bigger, and he started to snicker which annoyed Joan greatly. "How can you do this to me?! I am way smarter than him, I should be Frodo!! This isn't right!" 


End file.
